Dragoste la Ultimul (Love Eternal)
by Eirien Nimrodel-herves vuin
Summary: A Carpathian Cinderella Story: a supernatural twist on an old faerie tale (rated Mature for a reason) : This story was a gift to a good friend of mine. It is my own work and I would appreciate reviews! Thank you!
1. Chapter 1

_**Special thanks to Aethor, a friend from Romania, for pointing out mistakes in the translations and offering her services! All the updated beautiful language translations come from this remarkable girl._

 _This is for you...thank you_ _ **Allison M**_ _. You are my guru, my muse, my jester, my partner in crime...but most importantly of all...you are my friend._

 _Shari_

 **Dragoste la ultimul**

(Love Eternal)

 ** _A supernatural faerie tale_**

 _When the moon on a cloud cast night  
shine above the tree tops' bright  
You sang me of some distant past  
That made my heart beat strong and fast  
Now I know I'm home at last_

 _You offered me an eagle's wing  
That to the sun I might soar and sing  
And if I heard the owl's cry  
Into the forest I would fly  
And in its darkness find you by._

 _And so our love's not a simple thing  
Nor our truths unwavering  
But like the moon's pull on the tide  
Our fingers touch our hearts collide_

 _I'll be a moon's breath from your side_

 ** _Samhain Night: Loreena McKennitt_**

* * *

 ** _Part One: Fate_**

The coach stopped with a lurch just outside a small inn on the outskirts of _Brasov,_ somewhere in the wilds of the Transylvanian countryside. I could not deny that a part of me felt strangely drawn to the stark beauty of the rugged landscape, its jutting rock formations erotically piercing the innocence of the pale blue sky, but fear had already taken root in my soul…and it drowned out all other emotion.

 _I was to wed the_ **Voivode** , the ruler of this region. How my tale began is nearly too heartbreaking for me to tell.

* * *

This spring past, my father wed for the second time ere my mother joined her ancestors in the Holy Place. The bride he chose was a Baroness whose beauty was legend, for she aroused the passion and awe of men, from servant to the King himself. She hailed from a large city near the sea, the one where Father's ships come in to port carrying gold statues, silk and spices, and slaves to barter with.

She brought with her two daughters, each as lovely and delicate as fine porcelain…and as poisonous as the deadly nightshade. Margareta was all peaches and cream, blonde and blue-eyed, with a wicked sharp tongue, in possession of the talent to perceive the weaknesses of others and the innate skill to exploit it to her advantage. Brunette Luciana was the nightingale: soft spoken and demure, save for her temper, which was fierce indeed…her tantrums rang daily throughout the house. With the assistance of these fair-weather friends, these false sisters, my father's wife succeeded in turning his heart away from me.

Neither loved, nor welcomed in my own home, I had taken to engaging many hours in the stables, for I dearly loved spending time with the horses. My particular favorite was Doushka, a brown roan whose disposition was lovely and docile, yet she possessed a spark of mischief that kept me on my toes. Sleeping in the warm hayloft, comforted by the smell of oiled leather and the sounds of my beloved horses, I could forget the pain and loneliness of my father's betrayal. The more time I spent in the company of these beautiful beasts, the more I began to take on the appearance of a stable boy.

My family looked upon my countenance with disdain and disgust from that point onward. I was excluded from all social engagements and invitations, and when queried as to my absence, each party was told a heart wrenching tale of a daughter who squandered her virtue with a drifter, a scoundrel, therefore ruining any aspect of a social life or advantageous marriage. Indeed, the rumor already circulated that I was to go into the convent soon, because the said scoundrel had left, leaving me with child and in disgrace.

It was at this point in my life that I had resigned myself to a life of solitary loneliness, when the inconceivable occurred. My father lost me in a game of chance. Yes, me. I was the stakes…he put my virtue on the table as collateral against a hand of cards…and lost.

My life was about to change forever.

* * *

 ** _Part Two: Welcome_**

The inn was spacious, clean and serviceable. A dining hall and kitchen served as the entirety of the first floor and there were warm, comfortable rooms for hire on the second. My presence was expected, and lodgings were already procured on my behalf. A servant girl showed me directly to my room. The night eased in with a gradual darkening of the sky, from brilliant blue to the deep twilight of indigo. I sat staring out my window those long hours, chafing at the idleness in which I had been forced to participate. Used to filling my days with the activities of caring for the gentle creatures in my father's stables had not prepared me to be some man's pampered spouse, caring for nothing beyond the latest fashions and keeping him satisfied in bed. Desperation and fear threatened to choke me as I wrestled the tears back into oblivion…they would do me no good here.

I must fulfill my duty as a gentleman's daughter… _but he shall_ _ **never**_ _have me!_ This vow I made to myself as I took deep steadying breaths. _He may possess my body, but he shall never truly hold my heart…he will never share the deepest parts of me…._

To my relief, numbness finally…blessedly…stole back over me, and I lit the candle by the bed, and sat…pulling the brush through my long russet tresses with slow, methodical strokes. One of my favorite things to do, this ritual never failed to soothe frazzled nerves, and tonight was no different. With each brush stroke, I could feel the tension leave my body, and my eyes drifted shut.

The motion of my arm grew heavy and lethargic, and I knew that I should stop, and seek the solace of sweet slumber…but suddenly the sensations rioting through my body were of a contrary nature. I suddenly felt very strange…almost as though the brush were the touch of a lover's hand bent upon seduction, teasing and tempting, as wildly passionate as the natural wilderness we passed through just this morning.

Languidly I lay back against the pillows and allowed my arms to fall by my side. That ghostly touch stayed wound through my hair, massaging my head, my face, my throat…lower. A moan escaped my lips.

I felt cool air as it drifted over my breasts; causing a reaction that, under most circumstances, would have a blush pinking my skin. _A dream…it is but a dream…_ a warm baritone voice whispered in my ear, before the caressing touch moved southward…skimming my naval, and delving into my damp, quivering sheath.

Groaning at the glorious sensations spreading out from that spot in my body, I opened weak thighs to give wider access to whatever power was giving such mind-altering pleasure. To my immense surprise, a tightening began in my belly that told me something monumental was going to happen. The touch on my quim grew bolder, thrusting in and out in time with my heartbeat, and I could almost…feel…a presence lying beside me, holding me close within a protective sheltering embrace. Then there was a tug on a bundle of nerves at the top of the juncture between my thighs, and all rational thought vanished…

I came to with the echo of my cry of fulfillment still ringing in the room. My nightgown was rucked up past my knees and unfastened to the waist exposing my breasts. Slightly sweaty, completely sated, and wonderfully relaxed…I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

He stood still, a dark shadow in the moonlight, cursing himself for letting it go as far as it did. She was enchanting, his bride-to-be! He knew that he had a long road ahead to gain her trust…but he also knew that he hadn't much time left. Soon darkness would take over, and he would do to mankind what thousands of his kinsmen had done over the centuries…

He would begin to feed.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Part three: Fear_**

I woke in the night to the sound of an eerie, undulating cry of a night creature that I was completely unfamiliar with, coming from a great manor that was filled with hustle and bustle by day and the comforting sounds of crickets and the soft whinnying of the horses by night. No such comfort greeted my ears tonight, as I opened my window and peeked out between the shutters to glimpse the full moon slicing through the cold dark like a sharp knife through butter. Once more, the unnatural call came to my ears from somewhere to the east of the inn…curious now, I made to climb through my window and out onto the long veranda that ran the length of the second-floor hall.

Without warning, a form dashed into the open, large and nearly indistinguishable from the trees' shadows around the outside of the building. Freezing all movement, I watched…and waited.

The figure halted abruptly, crouched on all fours looking for all the world as though a large canine out on the prowl for a mate...or prey. Watching as it lifted a face to the moon, I expected the creature to have the snout of a wolf the way it seemed to be sniffing the air for scent of spoor. Waving its head back and forth, it seemed to be looking for something. Scenting the air seemed to have a calming effect on the unfortunate creature, because it crouched low and dropped its desperate snuffling, sitting so still that it seemed to be merely dozing now, readying itself for that long winters sleep…

A soft humming came from the kitchen area and a young servant girl came out of the open door to throw out some dish water. The inhuman creature sharply collected himself and waited in the shadows…dancing lightly on his feet…waiting…waiting. I was temporarily distracted by the sound of her feet in the courtyard below, then…they were both gone. A moment later, an ungodly scream rent the silence in two before being abruptly cut off, and I knew…the gods help me, I knew that she was in mortal danger. It returned with her in its arms, mouth smeared with a viscous substance, and her throat gaping open with grievous wounds.

A scream threatened to make its way out of my throat, but instinct had me fighting it…however, sound must have escaped my lips, for the creature froze and its head snapped up…and we locked gazes for an eternal moment.

Stumbling away from the horror that assailed my eyes, I nearly fell to my knees twice in the attempt to crawl back through my window to escape the hideous tableau…

With a ghastly snarl, the beast flung the dead girl from his grasp and leapt nearly vertically to the second-floor balcony, only feet from where I stood, frozen with horror at what I had seen. Yet for all the terror I felt for that pitiful child, it was nothing compared to what I faced now on the other side of the glass…for the monster that stared me down wore a pallor akin to death, and its eyes…oh, dear god…its eyes shone like silver medallions in the reflection of the moonrise. The beast's gait was the stalking of predator closing in on his prey and, trying to escape fate, I slammed my window down…attempting in vain to lock it in the futile attempt to keep the monster at bay.

Frantic sobs burst forth from my mouth as I worked, cutting my tender flesh on the rusty bolt when he leaped through the glass pane, snarling like the wolf he resembled. Crying out in fear, I fell back, striking my head against the floor…hard enough to lose consciousness for a brief moment…coming to only when fetid breath washed over my face.

Gazing up into mad, malicious eyes, I waited for death.

* * *

 ** _Part Four: Salvation_**

It seemed an eternity passed as we lay frozen in our impasse, locked in an obscene parody of the marriage bed. My life, which heretofore had seemed to me short and mostly uneventful, now seemed to be stretching out before me as though on the canvas of some mad artist's rendering. Minute details called forth images and emotions I'd thought long dead and buried, my mother's death became as recent as the day before, rather than the many years which had now passed. My father's complete and utter rejection, likewise were another vise, squeezing my heart until I must break, or bleed from within. Grief, hot and thick, swelled within my bosom…threatening to choke the very life out of me before the beast could its way.

Unable to bear the weight of it any longer, break I did. With soul rending sobs that burst forth from the deepest well of sorrow, I…I gave in to despair and wished only for death. Perhaps then, at last, I would find the ultimate cessation of the pain and loneliness.

The creature must have sensed my acquiescence for it let loose a triumphant howl, and lunged in for the kill. Automatically stiffening in response, I closed my eyes and waited for the agony of those ripping, shredding teeth. Then, a horrifying snarl came from somewhere over my head, followed by an eerie hiss. To my astonishment, the snarl formed itself into words inside my mind, although no words were spoken aloud _._

" _Catch your own tasty treat Vladislav, this one is mine…"_

Coldly amused, a rich baritone answered, " _And what will you do to_ _stop me, Dragos, hmmm? Attack?"_ the voice seemed to circle us, and I felt the beast tense in response. A whisper floated down above my head. " _Do you really think you can defeat_ _ **me**_ _, Dragos?_ _How very amusing! Turn the human loose, my good friend, and let us begin!"_

Goaded beyond all possible reasoning, the animal on top of me roared, blasting the room with a cacophony of noise that had me crying out and jerking my hands up over my ears to cover them. It leapt for the other and I flung myself to the side of the room and curled into a ball attempting to escape all notice. There were snarls, growls, and inhuman sounds ricocheting off the walls and around the room. Blood splattered, the warm droplets splashed onto my hand and I stared at them, transfixed and unable to look away while the battle raged on around me.

Quiet finally stole into the room after Vladislav destroyed the creature with a final, irreversible, break to its neck. Taking huge, deep breaths he tried to calm himself before he approached Evangeline…and approach her he must. She could be injured. He had wanted, desired to, put off this meeting until the morrow, when he could give her time and attention…after he had been able to feed. Even now, he knew that he should seek out some nourishment, just so she wouldn't tempt him so…

He shook his head, no time for that. They needed to be gone from this place right away. He strode quickly to her and crouched, taking in her, pale face, her fixed blank stare. Tenderly, he reached out an elegant hand and stroked her soft cheek, tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear.

Wordlessly, he communicated, " _Dragostea mea (1), we must go. Come, beloved…I will keep you safe. You will come to no harm while I am near. Forgive me for not coming to you in time to prevent this, dulceata (2)."_

He rose, lifting her unresponsive form gently and silently stalked into the night.

* * *

1\. My lovely one…

2\. Sweet one


	3. Chapter 3

_I dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls_

 _With vassals and serfs at my side,_

 _And of all who assembled within those walls_

 _That I was the hope and the pride._

 _I had riches all too great to count_

 _And a high ancestral name._

 _But I also dreamt which pleased me most_

 _That you loved me still the same,_

 _That you loved me_

 _You loved me still the same,_

 _That you loved me_

 _You loved me still the same._

 _I dreamt that suitors sought my hand,_

 _That knights upon bended knee_

 _And with vows no maiden's heart could withstand,_

 _They pledged their faith to me._

 _And I dreamt that one of that noble host_

 _Came forth my hand to claim._

 _But I also dreamt which pleased me most_

 _That you loved me still the same._

 ** _Marble Halls: Enya (1991)_**

* * *

 ** _Part Five: Awakening_**

The pre-dawn light flickered with lightning that heralded a storm approaching from the west. I awoke to the distant rumble of thunder rolled outside the cozy bedchamber where fire flickered on ancient stone walls. Turning toward the tall oriel windows, I jumped when I felt myself pulled against a warm, muscular chest.

"Good morrow _, inim_ _ă_ _mea_ (3), you are a pleasure to wake up to." His voice was whiskey dark, and velvet smooth as it entwined around my senses and wound itself around my heart, which began to beat a languorous tattoo against my breasts.

His hair was midnight black and, when the long locks brushed my face, I smelled fresh herbs and cinnamon, his features obscured in the darkness of the approaching storm. Tentatively I raised one hand to trace his face, attempting to make a mental picture of my protector. Lightly catching my hand, he kissed the palm and nibbled on my fingers before grasping one and sucking it into his firm mouth. I gasped at the unfamiliar, yet welcomed heat that flooded my body. Wordlessly I beckoned more of this attention, for within the center of my being was an intense desire to love and to be loved.

He gathered me close, crooning reassurances in my ear when I jumped involuntarily at a particularly loud clap of thunder, I had been extremely frightened of storms as a small child and had never fully recovered from that fear, yet in his arms I felt…sheltered, protected…cherished, for the first time in my life.

He whispered words in his language that my ears were not familiar with, but that my heart understood. Dark things, forbidden things, erotic things as his thin, elegant fingers worked their way past the fastening of my night rail and coasted over my breast. Lips soft as eiderdown coasted down the side of my throat, hesitating briefly over my pulse point before working their way back up to my ear where he breathed my name " _Evangeline…"_ and I came undone.

Grasping his face in my hands, I devoured his mouth…what I lacked in experience, I must have more than made up for with enthusiasm and passion, for he responded in kind…clutching me to him with an iron grip. Pulling away for air, he looked down at me with such tenderness that I suddenly had the intense desire to weep…who was this stranger? What was it about this man that made me long to give myself to him, and him alone, for all eternity?

"Let me love you, _dragostea mea (4)._ Please…I will not harm you, this I vow." His voice was hoarse now, with desire and I found myself nodding agreement.

He closed his eyes and gave a shudder of relief before leaning down once again to take my mouth in a carnal kiss of nearly unbearable intimacy. His tongue gained entry through teasing strokes, then plunged in and plundered, debauched and heightened my own fever as it rubbed, dueled with mine and, with the softest of touches, his fingers branded my skin staking claim that I belonged only to him. My nightgown seemed to melt away with the fire burning between us, and soon flesh slid against flesh, the textures intoxicating to my senses.

His taste was spicy and exotic, his scent familiar, and yet so…so alien. The feel of his hardness pressed so intimately against me was dizzying, a veritable freefall of sensations moving through my bosom as I tried to pull him closer…and still closer.

* * *

Vladislav was stunned by the simple, uncomplicated passion he had ignited in his soulmate. Here… _by the gods, here…_ was truly a treasure worth guarding for a lifetime. He loved her deeply already, and to see that she desired him greatly gave him hope that she might learn to love him in return. As he stroked her soft skin, he marveled at how small she was, yet perfectly formed for his adoration. He nibbled at the delectable skin alongside her neck, intoxicated by the light floral scent that was uniquely hers… _was that lilac, or lavender?_ Giving a low hum of approval he felt her shiver delicately and smiled against the slow, dreamy beat of her heart, the heart that would one day be his.

It must be…or he would never survive, nor would she. One thing he would NOT allow to happen is harm to her…even if the harm came in the form of himself. Baring these dark thoughts from his mind for this one brief moment in time, he concentrated solely on her pleasure.

Finding the ties and fastenings of her gown was simple, as he had already had cause to become intimately acquainted with the garment the night before. In no time, the material had vanished leaving silken skin sliding along firm muscle. The differences were measured, weighed, caressed, adored. Breath hitched. Voices were raised in wonder, in praise, in passionate plea.

At last, at last he slid between her open and straining thighs, her arms clutching him with desperation to get as close as possible. " _Evangeline…"_ with that one word she broke, and he plunged in taking her cries into his mouth as they raced toward the pinnacle together.

* * *

3\. My heart

4\. My lovely one

* * *

 ** _Part Six: Acquaintance_**

I woke again in mid-morning, dazed and confused. My body felt bruised and languid, muscles soft and mind dreamy. Lazily, I stretched…sleek and spoiled as a cat after gorging itself on cream. A wide yawn interrupted the opening of the wide, thick oak door. A maid, as pale as death entered, and I was unpleasantly reminded of the girl who suffered mortal injury in the moonlit Inn yard. With a bob and respectful query of my health, she helped me into my only formal gown, an old one of my mother's…the pale green of the silk underskirt contrasted so beautifully with the deeper emerald of the velvet overlay.

The girl was a miracle worker when it came to my stubborn chestnut hair. Having grown up with harsh words from other catty girls…including my own father's wife and her spawn, I grew to despise its color, wishing instead for the spun sunlight gold of Margareta's, or the deep earthy tone of Luciana's brunette locks.

Soon, too soon…I was to meet _him…_ my betrothed…Vladislav Dracula…the Voivode of the surrounding county. My knees shook as the maid directed me to the master's study.

Knocking on the thick door, I heard the husky voice of my heated dreams the night before bid me _Enter, Evangeline…_

Instantly dark and unbidden thoughts raced into my mind, bodies entwined in ecstasy, hips swaying together in a dance older than time. A hot mouth devouring the flesh of my most secret place, my soft silken petals damp with the dew of desire until my cries of fulfillment echoed in the night, then sweet tender kisses and cuddling in the big, soft bed.

Shaking my head to dispel all thought of such activity… a silken whisper entwined itself around my mind... _It was but a dream…_

I opened the door and entered.

* * *

The room was richly furnished, dark wood abounded, and luxurious tapestries lining the walls with color and texture. In the center of the massive room was a large desk, and behind it…a man.

His eyes were black as the night, and so sharp that I believed they could pierce flesh with one glance if he were so inclined. His slim, muscular build spoke of discipline and diligence. His hair fell in soft, silken waves of ebony along beautifully sculpted cheek bones that bespoke aristocratic heritage more firmly than a tree full of noble kinsmen.

He was larger than life. I hadn't known what to expect from the man who'd won me in a game of chance, but surely it was not this…he was not classically handsome, but there was something...magnetic. He drew me in like a moth to a flame, and I knew that if I wasn't careful…I could get burned alive in the process.

"Come, Evangeline…there is no need to fear. Come to me, I have waited…a life time…to finally meet you." His voice was velvet, rich and sinful, like dark chocolate. Deep, mysterious and luxurious…one that made me want to curl up with it murmuring in my ear forever.

Not even pretending that I could even have made another choice, I began to walk slowly toward him, as though mesmerized.

* * *

The weeks stretched by with plenty of opportunity to better acquaint ourselves with each other. Vlad…for so he insisted I call him in private, desired me to be comfortable above all else. I must confess that I was somewhat embarrassed with this…I was not accustomed to others taking notice of my desires and wishes. Vlad showered me with kindness and such regard…I confess to be feeling strangely when in his presence.

I have had very odd dreams lately, dreams I dare not repeat to anyone, lest they condemn my very soul…for I know that young ladies carry not within their bosoms the passions I feel for this man. I shudder to think of what he would do if he could read my mind…

* * *

He smiled at her naïveté, for he could all too easily read her thoughts and he thanked the Maker that she was chosen for him. For such a passionate woman to be so callously treated by a thoughtless parent, a cruel stepmother and her stupid simpering step-siblings…it had been impossible to have let such a warm, generous creature continue in these circumstances…even if she hadn't been his lifemate.

He broke into a broad, happy grin when she came sailing down the stairs, wearing a lovely peach colored gown he had purchased for her the week before in Prague, while he'd been away on business. That week was the first they spent apart and it had been the longest, and loneliest that either had ever known. Neither felt comfortable revealing this to the other just yet.

She reached the bottom of the stairs, shouting his name in welcome, her smile shining, eyes glowing…looking for all the world like a woman who was deeply, madly, hopelessly in love. He caught her up in his arms and swung her around, relishing her laugh, innocent and filled with joy.


	4. Chapter 4

The thundering waves are calling me home to you  
The pounding sea is calling me home to you

On a dark new year's night  
On the west coast of Clare  
I heard your voice singing  
Your eyes danced the song  
Your hands played the tune  
T'was a vision before me.

We left the music behind and the dance carried on  
As we stole away to the seashore  
We smelt the brine, felt the wind in our hair  
And with sadness you paused.

Suddenly I knew that you'd have to go  
My world was not yours, your eyes told me so  
Yet it was there I felt the crossroads of time  
And I wondered why.

As we cast our gaze on the tumbling sea  
A vision came o'er me  
Of thundering hooves and beating wings  
In clouds above.

As you turned to go I heard you call my name,  
You were like a bird in a cage spreading its wings to fly  
"The old ways are lost," you sang as you flew  
And I wondered why.

 **The Old Ways: Loreena McKennitt (1991)**

* * *

 ** _Part Seven: Ceremony_**

The morning of our nuptials dawned clear and crisp. The mountain air seemed to vibrate with the bells from the cathedral as they rang in celebration of the Voivode's marriage to me. I was awakened early by Alina, my maid, and dressed in the best finery as befitting the bride to the most powerful man in the surrounding area. My gown was of the finest silk, the palest of peach hemmed around with rich bronze shot through with gold thread and beautifully embroidered with some of the prettiest of the country's native wildflowers. Upon my head was a fall of lace so fine it seemed to be spun of spider silk, and so intricate it floated behind me as I ran toward the arched doorway, and the coach that would take me to my Prince.

The actual Handfasting ceremony was to take place that evening at the Castle, before a small crowd of Vlad's friends and family. I had not the chance to meet many of his circle, as we had spent many of our days getting acquainted with one another, but I would meet many this night. The ritual in the village church was one of Pomp and Ceremony for the sake of the public. After the monstrously boring speeches made by differing Voivodes and other vastly important people we must attempt to impress, Vladislav and I were finally able to make our way slowly back home… _home…_ I smiled broadly when I thought that. My home now, as well as his.

Finally, I'm home.

Evidently he had been watching me, because he asked in an amused tone what I was smiling at. So, I told him. He sobered and had a…strange and sad look on his face, and pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

 _"So_ _ţ_ _ia mea iubita(5)"_ he whispered into my ear. "You will _always_ have a home in my heart…"

A swelling in my chest had me choking back tears as I literally launched myself into his arms. Our lips met in a fiery, cataclysmic showdown where only the truest of lovers could hope to survive. Pulling me onto his lap, he cupped my cheeks in his elegant hands and held my head still so he could sip, soothe…take and devour.

Hot, urgent sounds escaped me and, of their own volition, my hands fisted in the soft lawn of his shirt for an instant before grappling with the unfamiliar fastenings, so focused was I in my monumental task that I didn't take heed of his actions, so it came as a surprise when I felt an instant's rush of cool air caress my bared breasts before the scalding heat of his mouth claimed the rosy peaks.

I threw my head back and cried out in relief at the feel of the sweet suction, the lave of his tongue on my flesh. Threading my fingers through his silken hair, I held fast to my anchor…my rock in a world sent topsy-turvy into a sea of ever deepening desire. He rocked me gently against the hardness swelling between solidly muscled thighs…and I nearly swooned with the pleasure swamping my system. Sliding a sure hand up under my skirt, he quickly found what he sought…nirvana.

* * *

He held liquid fire in his arms. She was _his…_ at last…at long last… _his._ The enormity of it all should have frightened him…should have terrified him beyond all reason. Instead it humbled him, and gave him hope for the future, for _their_ future. As he touched her core, he watched her face, reveling in the intense pleasure he saw mirrored there. His eyes held hers…held and wouldn't let go. _See me…_ they told her… _watch what you do to me, watch me fall apart in your arms, love._

Gently, he stroked her center, then entered her one finger at a time, until she could take no more of him. _Hristoase, e atat de mica (6)…_ he thought…amazed she could take him at all. He curled his fingers and began slow, gentle circles while he lightly nipped and tongued the side of her neck. Her gasps were replaced quickly by small cries of ecstasy and joy. She began to roll her hips in a dance even older than time and soon was begging, nay, pleading for release.

He drew his fingers from her, wet and slick, and knew she would take him easily. Opening the flap of his leggings, he centered her and with one thrust, impaled her onto his throbbing shaft. She let out a keening wail and began using her hips to ride him, using the swaying of the coach as impetus for her movements.

Feeling himself caressed by the entire length of her satiny sheath, Vlad hissed out a breath and clenched his teeth in violent pleasure. She heard him and answered the primal call of her lifemate, smiling at his gratification and, wanting to heighten the power she felt surging within her, bent forward and ran her tongue along his throat and behind his ear before capturing his lobe with her teeth for a light nip. His shudder of bliss was an incredible aphrodisiac, so she did it again, only this time her nip held bite. He growled low and wrested control from her easily, and surging forward, he tossed her easily onto the opposite seat and thrust deep…hips hammering into her sweet heat over and over, until his name was a mantra on her silken lips. Watching intently, he was acutely aware of the very moment her eyes lost their focus and she snapped taut in his grasp…before a joyous cry burst forth and she exploded in his arms inviting him to follow her to paradise.

* * *

5\. My beloved wife

6\. Christ, she is so small…

* * *

 ** _Part Eight: Revenge_**

We made love three more times in the dark, lush confines of the carriage. The third time, Vlad sat me on the opposite seat, skirt pushed up as high as it would go. He knelt on the swaying floor in front of me, lips ghosting over my flesh, reaching my breasts and stopping to suckle the hardened tips. I threw back my head and let out a sensual moan, to which he hummed in satisfaction.

Letting go, he continued to move, his mouth following the opened tunic of my gown, pressing adoring kisses until he reached my naval, where he plunged his tongue in and out…in an imitation of the glorious act of physical oneness we would share for a lifetime. Unconsciously I spread myself open as wide as possible and thrust my hands into his silky black mane of hair…pulling him as close as humanly possible. I could not tell you how his touch made me feel…how I _longed,_ nay _burned_ to be filled with him.

Yet, even when we were joined, as intimate and complete as God had intended, I felt that there was something…more. Something else that needed to be done which would entwine our souls to forever be as one, a bond unbreakable even following death.

Now, when all I felt was the scorching heat of his mouth moving toward its intended goal, I just allowed myself to be swept away in the tide of trust, passion and lust that accompanied it.

He paused and I opened my eyes, heavy now with arousal and need, and watched in fascination as he gently drew my knees further apart and set my feet on the two footstools to the left and right of where he knelt. I felt very vulnerable and exposed, neither emotion being comfortable at all. He looked up and read my face…then, giving me a gentle reassuring kiss, he again pressed my trembling knees apart…then stared down at what he'd uncovered. I could feel a blush rise to the surface of my skin, but before I could mutter a single protest, his finger lightly skimmed the down of my mound…and all rational thought vanished in to the back of my fevered mind.

He touched me as though I were the most delicate of china…stroking my dewy petals with one gentle finger…up…down…before tapping the rapidly swelling button primly hiding beneath the folds. I gasped aloud and my hips surged up at the bolt of pleasure that raced through my body. His lips curled back in a grimace that bespoke of his iron-clad control. Swiftly, he pulled my feet up over his shoulders, spreading me even wider to his hot gaze. Whimpering now, I half reclined on the seat cushions and opened for him, knowing he only sought my pleasure. Knowledgeable digits slid into my crease to tease without mercy…to tempt without pity.

* * *

He settled into a slow, deep rhythm watching as his fingers disappeared within her quivering flesh, then re-appeared seconds later with her fragrant juices filling his nostrils until his head overflowed. Her legs were spread wide for him, her head thrown back, her mouth issuing husky moans of longing and desire. He curled up his middle digit and hit just the right spot…and had her doubling over in pleasure.

"Vlad!" his name sounded like pure sin on her lips just now. With care and precision, he used his finger to rub in gentle circles until she was all but incoherent, babbling and calling his name as her hips danced in time with his touch. He settled his mouth over hers just as she came apart.

He allowed her to settle after the high, but was soon back…stoking the fire he knew would always be theirs. When she was mindless once again, he bent…and fastened his mouth on her.

She froze in shock.

 _He could not, nay…he could not mean to…ah, god…yes, dear heaven there…more, harder…_

He smirked as he felt her hands fist in his hair and yank him into her. _With the greatest of pleasure, my love,_ he thought to himself, and applied his mouth in the sweetest of suction. Her entire being snapped tight, and she gave out little cries of _uh…uh…uh_ …that he found quite erotic coming from that sweetly innocent mouth. Her hips, undulating now, coaxed him into finishing quickly and sinking himself into her moist channel. He pulled the little nubbin out from its hiding place and tongued it, loving the sweet/salty taste of her. Then, without warning, he drew it in his mouth and sucked _HARD_ …causing her to scream in pleasure and convulse in his arms as she shattered into a thousand pieces.

* * *

Unbeknownst to us, a familiar figure drove the carriage that evening while we gained a glimpse of paradise in the arms of one another. Unfortunately, this…person…was not a friend. We would not find out until we reached the castle that our dear coachman, and friend to the family for years, was lying in the graveyard just outside the church where Vlad and I were married that afternoon.

His throat had been bitten savagely and his body drained of its blood. Upon hearing this, I was instantly transported back to the night I was attacked by the creature. Was it still after me? I could not believe I never told Vlad about it!

However, to tell Vlad I would have to uncover the man who'd rescued me. The one who'd brought me to the castle and…and… That night, did we…? Here, something in my mind threw up a brick wall, and I could not penetrate it without suffering severe head pains. It had something to do with my having no maidenhead when he took me in the carriage.

 _It was but a_ _dream_ …that voice, it sounds so familiar.

She almost guessed…he cursed his impatience in the same breath as he praised his wife…her intelligence was equal to his own, and she was filled with strong magick. But he had the feeling that his sweet-tempered wife would not be so understanding if she found out about his seduction the night he had rescued her from the werewolf attack. Vladislav was filled with pride that was tempered with worry when his coachman was found with injuries that could only have been sustained through a direct attack from Dragos' kin. He should have known that they would have guessed who was responsible for his death.

Taking slow, even breaths, placing his body into a deep trance, he sent his consciousness winging through the night sky searching for

the Head of the Lixandroiu family. As head, Lucian was bound by unspoken law to avenge the death of his first-born, or risk being seen as weak by his people. To be seen thusly, would bring great dishonor to his family, and leave the entire region in danger of being overthrown and in the hands of one of the nearby warlords. He was met with success and probed gently when he finally made contact with the elderly gentleman's mind.

With shock, he felt the complete innocence and lack of guile right away, so he concentrated harder to better focus the connection. The old man was arguing with his next-born against the kidnapping and murder of Evangeline!

With a low, feral growl, Vladislav felt his canines burst forth from his gum line as the adrenaline rushed through his veins at the mere thought of danger for his mate. _Come, and you will face me…you will get more than you bargained for. She is_ _ **mine**_ _…and I will not allow you to harm a hair on her precious head…_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Part Nine: Heir_**

I woke with a start just as the rain began to pour, thudding against the oriel window in the master bedroom, sounding for all the world like a thousand scrabbling mice feet scratching to get in. I had been Vlad's wife now for three months and we have been…happy, I would say. There are times, however, that he looks at me with such…desperation… I determined that on this night, we would talk, and I would find out what was wrong…was he, in fact, unhappy in our marriage? Did he wish we had never met? I was not one who usually suffered from fits of melancholia, but a profound sadness had seemed to settle over me.

Alina came in to help me get ready and I rose quickly…too quickly it would seem, as the room suddenly seemed to tilt, and I wavered with a hand to my forehead. She became quickly concerned and made noises about "fetching the master" but I waved her away and told her to bring me my clothing. When I was alone, I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to quell the nausea trying to work its way up from a nervous stomach. I usually had the constitution of a good brood mare, and rarely was sick, but here…I certainly was making up for it! I could not seem to get rid of this illness…

By the time I reached the dining hall, I had a spring to my step again. Vlad was the first person I saw when I came sailing through the door, and he turned with a smile on his lips.

 _"So_ _ţ_ _ia mea dulce,_ you look radiant today. Come and sit by my side." He captured my hand in his and raised it to his lips, but I noticed to my sorrow, that his smile failed once again to reach his cool eyes.

"Vlad…is…is something worrying you?" I asked hesitantly. I really had no idea how he would react to questions that could be construed as intrusive. My father always behaved…rather badly… He simply looked surprised and answered in the negative, but I knew it was a lie. And surprisingly…it hurt, a sharp pain that pierced both heart and soul. Determined not to let him know how it pained me, I merely nodded, and walked toward the sideboard, where the smell of the rich food was beginning to bother my sensitive stomach.

I hadn't thought about it, but ever since coming to this country, I had eaten less and less solid food; and was, in fact, in danger of becoming truly ill from lack of nutrition if I wouldn't eat. Regular food simply held no appeal for me. I had no idea what I wanted, I just knew what I didn't want. Vlad knew…knew and didn't tell me…and that's how it all happened.

That morning, as soon as I smelled the greasy sausages and pastries that only a month ago, I couldn't do without, I turned a ghastly shade of white and giving a little moan, crumpled to the floor. Vlad gave a shout, and ran for me, snatching me up into his arms and practically flew to our chambers; throwing orders over his shoulders, spitting out the words in Romanian so I couldn't understand most of it beyond the word for physician. The doctor was summarily dispatched and was sent to our room, he seemed quite taken aback that we shared a bedchamber…poor soul…and had to be soothed when my husband refused to leave while I was examined.

What transpired then, I shall never forget, indeed…I am hard-pressed to contain a smile of pure joy even now. He told Vlad and I that we were to have a baby! A child… I have never seen a look of such naked longing and elation as I had on my husband at that very moment. Tenderly he drew me close in his arms and kissed my forehead…my cheek…my lips.

"I am indeed the most fortunate of men… _inim_ _ă_ _a inimii mele (7)_. You are my heart, my soul…the very breath of my body. Without you I would cease to be." He had tears running down his cheeks, and they were matched by my own.

A child! His heart was filled to bursting with love for her…for them both. As he gazed into her tranquil eyes, he realized that he'd missed her open joy…her transparent nature allowed him access to her innermost thoughts and emotions, and he'd known of her sadness, her thinly veiled desperation that she'd done something to crack this tenuous relationship they'd been trying to forge since they met. With resolve he made the decision to talk with her soon about her past, and the secret they shared. It was imperative, both for him, as well as her and the child that they share a blood-bond as quickly as possible. He'd been content allowing time to dictate the pace of their courtship, but time was now a luxury they could ill afford…even now he had to use every ounce of his will to keep from joining those of his kin who gave up the fight over their darker instincts and gave in to the urge to hunt unmercifully. Some nights he lay awake sweating and praying for daylight as he heard their uncanny cries echoing in the vast mountainous regions of his small kingdom.

He sat with his love until her tears dried and she fell into a deep and restful slumber. Then, stretching out beside her, he gathered her close and cradled her within his loving embrace.

 _"Iubirea vietii mele, mama a copilului meu... As putea traversa timpul pentru tine, pot indeparta flacarile Iadului pentru tine, pot indura toata suferinta pacatosilor pentru tine, dar nu-mi cere sa traiesc fara tine."(8)"_ he whispered desperately into her hair as he breathed in her fresh, fragrant scent before succumbing to slumber.

* * *

7\. Heart of my heart

8\. Love of my life, mother of my child…I would traverse time for you, I would hold back the fires of hell for you, I would endure all the torment of the damned for you…but do not ask it of me to live without you

 _And now my charms are all o'erthrown,  
And what strength I have's mine own;  
Which is most faint; now tis true,  
I must here be released by you,_

 _But release me from my bands  
With the help of your good hands.  
Gentle breath of yours my sails  
Must fill, or else my project fails,_

 _Which was to please. Now I want  
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;  
And my ending is despair,  
Unless I be relieved by prayer,_

 _Which pierces so that it assaults  
Mercy itself and frees all faults.  
As you from your crimes would pardoned be,  
Let your indulgence set me free._

 **Prospero's Speech: Loreena McKennitt**

* * *

 ** _Part 10: Vanished_**

I woke, my body burning with arousal, to discover my husband…my lover spooned against my naked flesh, nipping…sucking…and nibbling the tender skin that lay on the back of my neck. He had found my weakness the morning after our nuptials and, upon seeing the havoc it wrought upon my impassioned senses, exploited that fact without mercy. I shivered and moaned throaty approval as his hand wandered down to toy with the plumpness of my breasts, their dusky hued areolas puckered with the sensations caused by the roughened skin of his gentle palms. Softly, tenderly his hand skimmed down my torso in pursuit of the delights my flesh had to offer him, pausing only when he cupped at last my dewy mound and provided sweet torture where I desperately needed release.

He withdrew his touch, to my dismay, and smiled into my hair when I squeaked in protest. "Relax, all is well my love." His honeyed words fell upon me as I moved restlessly in his grasp trying to turn and face him. He took one of my hands and placed it between my outstretched thighs…where it yearned for _his_ touch alone… "Touch yourself for me…" his whispered plea made me yearn in ways too explicit for words. Speechlessly I obeyed, hesitant at first…strokes tentative and light…until a bolt of searing pleasure shot through my system and his burning kisses robbed me of rational thought.

He watched me with eyes that glittered with love and lust…a heady combination in a lover. His hand crept lower and he covered mine with his own, working both steadily...rhythmically...between my thighs until I was gasping and pleading for surcease.

" _Dulceata, inim_ _ă_ _mea, let go_ _…_ _I will catch you when you fall, this I vow_ _…_ _"_

So focused was I on the task at hand, that I didn't even realize that he had never uttered a word…the entire sentence had been spoken inside of my head… For now, as I dissolved in his embrace…none of it mattered. He gently rolled me over, and as I lay gasping for air, mounted and entered in a long, smooth thrust. Within moments we were rocking toward oblivion, each staring fixedly into the others eyes. His thrusts were sure and deep, his touch infinitely precious. He held my face between very capable loving hands as he rode my body ceaselessly. I cried out as I came again, and again…nerve endings firing off in a nearly endless wave of pleasure. Finally… _finally_ , he grasped my knees, and bringing my legs up over his shoulders until I was laid open to him as I had never been before, he surged into me one final time…wrenching a primal scream of ecstasy from my soul, and answering with a shout of triumph as he poured his seed within my body.

* * *

 ** _Eight months later_**

Vlad walked into the library, knowing where he would find her. Sure enough, she was lying on a comfortable divan, a forgotten book on her lap, fast asleep. Her firm, round stomach lie temptingly under her loose and comfortable gown, and he couldn't resist placing a gentle hand on its slope, closing his eyes and feeling the life beat of his child nestled within.

For an instant, he felt a familiar twinge of longing…longing for blood…for the feeding frenzy…for **_the child, must take the child and the woman…must feed…must take…must have…must…must…_** nooooooooo! It was only through extreme effort, that cost him greatly, that he had the ability to keep the monster away. The desire was coming quickly now, she had not responded well when he had told her of the prophecy…of her part in their world.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Finally unable to put it off any longer, he had approached her. He'd found himself at an impasse. The visions…the desires to take…to feed…to kill…were getting stronger. Soon there would be nothing he could do to prevent disaster from occurring. She was everything to him…everything…without her, he would cease to be._

 _That evening he sat with her…confided everything…silence reigned supreme. Was there forgiveness to be had? Would she understand her part in the Grand Scheme?_

" _Do you comprehend, So_ _ţ_ _ia mea iubita, what this means for you? Your mother was Carpathian, a race whom were shown grace and destined by the gods to hunt the demonic, unnatural creatures which seek to destroy their creation. You are, by birth, a part of that! It is your destiny! We are united for that purpose…to hunt together." Then he told her the rest. What they must do together to make their bond strong._

 _Far from being captivated, however, she looked shocked, nervous, terrified and disgusted. He did not reflect on this at the time, merely had given her some time to work it out…arrogantly sure she would see it his way._

 _He finally went upstairs to bed when the clock struck twelve. The bedchamber was dark, still, and quiet…too quiet. Used to the sound of her soft breathing, he hurriedly lit the lamp and stared around the room in horrified disbelief. Gone…no telling where…no telling when, no telling in what shape—if any she'd return in. With perfect clarity, he recalled the terror that had flooded his entire being…_

 _For that night, she ran. Stumbling over rock and ravine…tumbling down hills, tripping over tree roots and falling several times. She knew not where she was headed, but she could\not, would not face the truths which were forced upon her this evening. Blindly, she sought only refuge from a decision to horrifying to make._

"Nicolae! Nicolae…" the sheer panic in his voice had his manservant running to heed the call of his master, his pale face alight with worry. Vladislav met him halfway down the corridor to grasp his upper arms for support. "Have you seen her? Have you seen my Evangeline?"

Already, the answer was not the one hoped for. None of the servants interviewed that night had seen her, none had witnessed her tear-filled flight from the imagined terrors that awaited her and the child she carried within her. He strove to push aside the panic, the awful certainty that gods were punishing him for daring to love her. _Please…_ he begged, _I offer myself in her stead…take me for your sacrifice if you must, but she is innocent._

He searched the surrounding woodland for hours, until the waning shadows announced dawn was near. Throat raw from shouting her name, he retreated to his bedchamber for a hot concoction which included fine, wild honey from his own local farms. Exhausted, heart-broke, and sick with worry he'd nearly fallen to sleep when a visitor was announced.

In his mind, he heard the voice of his manservant call out to him… _it is Lucian…he says he has news of utmost importance…what is your wish?_

He perked up at this…what could the old one want of him…the truth slammed into him with the impetus of a tidal wave. " _Show him in…show him in immediately…"_

Their conversation held little in the way of actual assistance. Lucian had become concerned when his eldest son had taken to threatening the Voivode's spouse in order to enact revenge for his brother's death.

"I knew what my son was…it is to my shame that I allowed the curse which had befallen my family for four generations to live on in my children." He looked down at his clasped hands for a moment, before raising anguished eyes to Vlad's own. "My wife…begged me to let them live. When I would have slaughtered my own sons…she begged me… Would that I had been able to do it still, and earned her eternal damnation in the process…perhaps then my soul would not have this dark stain that can never be washed clean…" He took his leave then, closing the door quietly on a grieving, distraught man.

* * *

As Vlad's hunt for me continued throughout the days that followed, I realized that I could not hope to survive out in this wilderness on my own. I looked for sustenance during the day and either slept or traveled at night, keeping to the shadows, the howling of the night creatures showed they were steadily gaining ground. On the sixth day of my perilous journey…I was found.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Part Eleven: Taken_**

My husband found me, burning with fever and unresponsive in the little cave I had used for shelter during the night. I had been out trying to find the bark of a willow tree to ease the pain of a fever and illness. I learned of the practice of boiling the bark of the willow through a dear friend of mine who had traveled extensively and taught me the art of extracting the medicinal qualities of certain plant materials.

In the process of running from my fears and doubts, I had put our child in danger…and for that, I will _never_ forgive myself. I had been climbing over rocks near the cliff's edge, in the outer most edge of my husband's property. While on the rocks (I was looking for something… _anything…_ to eat), I managed to cut my leg rather deeply. Although I managed to wash it thoroughly in a cold creek nearby, a little soil must have remained, for it soon became infected, swollen, and red.

Fever came soon after, and with my last coherent thoughts I recalled what my friend had told me about the healing power of the Willow's bark. I set out at once to obtain this precious material…but alas, I could not find it. Fever worsening, stumbling as my eyesight grew dim despite the brightness of the day, and growing increasingly incoherent in my thoughts…I finally collapsed in a little clearing not ten feet from my little cave.

Rain falling softly on my face woke me. I painfully pulled myself up, crying out in agony when I put weight on the infected limb, the pain so great that I leaned over and vomited what little was left in my stomach onto the grass. Lying back down, I slid myself slowly…inch by painful inch…back toward my home in the cave.

* * *

He searched…for hours, for days. Desperation grew with each hour that passed and by the time he reached the small clearing that held the crop of large boulders that formed the tiny cave, he was nearly beside himself with anguish. The outcropping of rock was such that he nearly missed the petite opening in the fissure of rough stone. When he looked inside he caught a glimpse of bright aqua cloth that had his heart stop completely before starting up again with painful thuds.

He called her name frantically, with no answer, and he felt fear as he had never known. Turning, Vladislav called to his servant, and with his assistance managed to make his way into the tiny cavern, and over to her. She lay face down, as though she'd fallen there, and…as he reached out to move her over…he felt the intense heat of fever rolling off her in waves. Cursing inventively in his native language, he prayed hard…fast…and long that she would be spared and that if punishment must be dealt…

He would take it for her.

* * *

I spent days trapped within the netherworld of fever. Nightmarish creatures haunted my rest; snarling, snapping things with great long fangs that dripped with the blood of countless victims of their torment. Through it all, my dear husband sat at my side, bathing my fevered brow…begging, nay, demanding my return to his side…his loving attentions finally breaking through one bright autumn morning. His was the first face I saw when my eyes opened…mind clear at last. His tears fell freely as he gently gathered me up in his arms, murmuring his thanks to the gods.

I was given medications from the doctor, and told to rest frequently…which was easy to do, as the after effects of the fever and the difficulties of the pregnancy kept me exhausted and queasy most days. When the first months had passed by, we knew that my foolish behavior in running away had no effect on our child. I grew in strength from good food, and the attentions of my adoring spouse. As I grew heavier with child, Vlad seemed more and more loving and generous in the giving of his body. We connected more deeply in ways I had never imagined possible. He had, however, not mentioned the one thing that had driven me from the house to begin with. I began to think on it…ponder all that he had told me about my family, my bloodline. Much of what he said made a kind of…strange sense, to me. I had oft pondered the very notion that I belonged here, in some deep, intrinsic way that far exceeded mere marital vows. Had I known what was indeed coming to pass…perhaps I would not have been so eager to awaken to my true destiny…

On that fateful morning, I was out for a walk in the garden admiring the colors one last time, and getting fresh air, when I heard a strange growl or whine from behind the great hedges of the maze. I turned and stopped to listen, when something hurtled out at me…too fast for me to do anything but gasp. I was being abducted…held aloft by the eldest son of the Lixandroiu Family. I struggled against him, scratching, hitting, kicking…and finally bit him…all to leave something behind as a clue. Frantically, I sent my thoughts winging to Vladislav, although I had never used this form of communication voluntarily with him before.

" _My darling, I am taken! Please, help me…_ _te iubesc, I love you…"_


	7. Chapter 7

_My life goes on in endless song  
above earth's lamentations,  
I hear the real, though far-off hymn  
that hails a new creation.  
Through all the tumult and the strife  
I hear its music ringing,  
It sounds an echo in my soul.  
How can I keep from singing?_

 _While though the tempest loudly roars,  
I hear the truth, it liveth.  
And though the darkness 'round me close,  
songs in the night it giveth.  
No storm can shake my inmost calm,  
while to that rock I'm clinging.  
Since love is lord of heaven and earth  
how can I keep from singing?_

 _When tyrants tremble in their fear  
and hear their death knell ringing,  
when friends rejoice both far and near  
how can I keep from singing?  
In prison cell and dungeon vile  
our thoughts to them are winging,  
when friends by shame are undefiled  
how can I keep from singing?_

 ** _How Can I Keep From Singing: Enya_**

* * *

 **Part Twelve: Death**

Vlad was sitting in his office, staring at the painting he'd had commissioned on the eve of their wedding. It was of Evangeline…she was dressed in a flowing gown of deep green with gold thread accents throughout that sparkled in the sunlight. The setting of the painting was his solarium, and she was holding a gorgeous Painted Lady butterfly that had come to see if she were a flower…or a faerie that stepped out of a dream and into mortal life. The look on her face was priceless…wonder and delight, innocence and laughter.

Her hair hung down, wild and free in cinnamon rivulets, cascading nearly to her knees. Her face lay bare of any artifice, and her loveliness shown through like a raw diamond when polished to gleaming brilliance.

As he sat and contemplated, eyes on his love, he became aware of a growing malady…an uneasiness…a nameless fear…something was very wrong. He rose quickly and set off to find his wife. He was only halfway across the room when he heard her desperate plea…

" _My darling, I am taken! Please, help me…_ _te iubesc, I love you…"_

With a roar of rage and anguish, he followed her inner pathway, instinctively reading it and knowing where she had been when she was snatched. Reaching the gardens, he saw a picture of the maze wall in his mind, and knew she had given it to him. He looked very closely and found what he sought. Wolf hairs.

His canines burst forth and he snarled. This time, it was open season on wolves.

* * *

I woke in a cave, rank and dirty…and with an odor so foul that I rolled instantly and lost everything I had eaten that day. Wiping my mouth on my shirt sleeve, I glanced about trying to discover where I was in relation to the mouth of the cavern. The monster didn't seem to be about, nonetheless, I tried to move as silently as possible toward the only source of light. When I made the attempt to stand up, a sharp pain pierced my abdomen…and I doubled over in agony.

Vladislav must've heard me, I felt…no heard…no, it's hard to explain for those who have never experienced total communication. He called my name hoarsely, demanding to know if I was being hurt…and I assured him that I wasn't.

" _The baby, Vlad…something is happening…my womb is tightening. And…OH! Oh gods…Vlad! Something is pouring down my legs! Help me!"_

Sheer panic rose in my voice as my water broke. This was my first baby and I did not know what to expect, the pain was a given…but not _THIS_ much… And what was this liquid? Was it natural to do that?

I leaned against the wall and strove to calm my thoughts as Vlad had commanded. He was begging me now to send him pictures of the last places I remember before passing out from a sharp blow to the head. I concentrated and was able to send him a rough map to my location. I was so focused, I didn't hear the animal return until a sharp yank on my loose curls burned my scalp and I put my hands up to my head and yelled out. A voice, deep…gravely and nearly unintelligible forced its way into my thoughts, leaving me feeling battered…bruised…violated and mentally raped.

" _mineminemine…youaremine…iwantyou iwant…wantwant…mine…"_

It seemed as if something inside the creature had broken, and the foul evil had been given free reign at last. It shoved a blood-stained snout into my hair and snuffed, stirring the loathing I felt into vile sickness and I feared a repeat of the wretched nausea. The stench of blood was overpowering, yet strangely compelling…it wasn't the smell of it that bothered me…no…rather the miasma of evil that hovered over this horror-filled place, that was what affected me so abominably. As the man-wolf caressed my breasts and whispered his mindless chant in my ear, another contraction gripped my womb…this time it meant business. I doubled over, sweating and screaming, and he growled as he caught the scent of bloody fluid.

" _moremoremore…moreforme…yesyesyes…comecomemoreforme"_

He tried to pull my legs apart, his intentions clear…dear heaven, he was going to rip my baby from me…and devour it…

I screamed Vlad's name before the beast backhanded me and I knew no more.

* * *

He flew into action once he'd calmed her down enough to discover their route. In the foothills of that mountain chain, there were only a few habitable caverns and she had unknowingly given him precise directions to the one she was in. He waited impatiently for some of his kind to help. Gregori was the first to arrive, along with his mate Giselle.

" _Have you told her then? Does she know the creature must be destroyed before the babe is born…or she and the babe could perish?"_ Gregori stalked up to Vlad, sparing no time on pleasantries.

" _And how would you propose I do this? She was nearly hysterical from fear, I could not put this burden on her as well…"_ Vlad's voice held infinite weariness. Gregori opened his mouth to protest when he was interrupted by the sweet voice of his wife.

" _Let us waste no more time then. Come Vladislav, tell us what your lifemate was able to send, that we may assist you in finding her…"_

He shot her a thankful look and they sat at the table in his study, before them lay a map of the area where she described using pictures. As he spoke, the pictures formed in the other two minds as well, until a mental map grew and solidified.

They set off, choosing their animal forms…each unique, each suited to the personality of its host. Gregori was a hawk, brave…swift…daring…with eyes that saw everything. Giselle was a panther…beautiful and deadly, with paws that could strike a lethal blow in but a heartbeat. And Vladislav…was a dragon. Enormous, protective, his body covered with an iridescent hide that shone like fire in the late afternoon sunlight. Within moments, they were scouring the landscape for signs of the man-wolf.

* * *

It was a nightmare of agony which I awoke to…sweating, screaming as my body labored out of my control to bring my child into this world. The creature paced in agitation, howling every now and then in pure frustration at the wait it must endure…stopping to breath deep the smell of blood and panting in excitement. By this time, I was too far gone to feel fear…I was in some sort of place where the only purpose was to bear down…bear down until our child was born.

 ** _Hours pass…_**

Another contraction rolled through my womb, and I clutched my front, so tired now that I could only moan in protest…sweat dripping and blood pouring from between my thighs… _something isn't right…Vladislav, our baby…I'm…so…sorry…_

My voice seemed to fade into the twilight of the cave, and I heard his whisper as it seemed to come from a long way off… _my darling…do not let go, please…I am coming for you…do not leave me beloved…_

My eyesight faded as another ripple made its way through my middle and I finally succumbed to eternal rest.


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

The house of Vlad was in an uproar as the holidays approached. It had always been Evangeline's favorite time of the year, and he insisted upon a fully decorated home in honor of her…every year. He was just coming out of his study when two pair of feet came racing down the main staircase at breakneck speed, only to come to a sudden halt at his menacing scowl.

"What do we have here, hmmm? Am I surrounded by wastrels? Vagabonds? Scoundrels?" His tone was harsh, but his eyes twinkled as the two giggled and launched themselves at him.

"Papa!" came their glad cry, and then came hushed whispers of how the excited four-year olds spent their morning. Secrets were exchanged, and bargains met, for the recipient of the celebration had yet to make an appearance, so all felt now was as good a time as any to get the particulars out of the way. Unbeknownst to the three conspirators, a slight figure came limping through the library's double oak doors just then, and a soft voice enquired with amusement,

"And what are you three up to?" A trio of guilty looks were thrown her direction before a silky-smooth Vladislav sent the children off and sauntered over to scoop her up in his arms, take her back into the library, and settle in a deep comfortable chair.

She smoothed swatch of dark hair back behind his ear and rested her cheek against his…giving a sigh of contentment. "Vladislav… _esti_ _cealalta jumatate a sufletului meu…_ _te iubesc… (1)"_ Before she could get anymore out, he was kissing her with an intensity that bordered on obsession, murmuring his love for her in Romanian and English…and memory took him back.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _He flew over treetops following the sharpening scent of his lifemate's blood. He could hear her voice, dull with shock and pain…the life draining out of her with each contraction of her womb. Too exhausted to even cry out any longer, she barely made a sound, although pain continually ripped through her body…he could feel it as though it were happening to him._ My love…something is not right…our baby…I am so…sorry… _she trailed off into silence. Fear lanced through his chest with the impetus of a lightning bolt._ My darling…do not let go, please…I am coming for you…do not leave me beloved… _there was no other sound from her…and his heart nearly skipped a beat._

The scent of her blood was now mixed with the stench of man-wolf, and the three Carpathians alighted in a clearing just west of the caverns where she was being held. Vladislav paced the small clearing swearing viciously in several languages as the other two rested for a moment.

"We know where she is kept…let us make haste!" he hissed showing a bit of fang.

"Vlad, we cannot leap in unprepared…our mission will fail. You know this…" Gregori attempted to placate the furious vampire.

"Mission…mission? Would that be how you describe the rescue of YOUR lifemate? As a _mission?"_ Vlad had Gregori by the shirt front, feet dangling, as he was spitting mad by this time, each word dragged forth as if from the very fabric of his soul. "Fa! You disgust me coward…leave then, and I will do this alone!" In great revulsion Vlad cast him aside only to be brought up short by a very stubborn…very brave…very angry Carpathian female.

"I'll take it as a great personal favor…" said Giselle with a purr in her voice, "if you would not man-handle my mate any further…"

"Out of my way" he hissed, "or you shall see why I am feared by many and known by few…"

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Do not threaten me, Prince. I cooperate because I wish too." Her growl was low and rumbling. "but I know that we shall succeed in our endeavor if we work together. Please…your mate is dying…she needs all of our skill to survive. He waits…" her head came up and she sniffed the air. "Come, it is time…"

Without looking back at him, she loped off in an easy run until she hit the tree line…then…she was gone. He swore inventively, looked back at Gregori, who shrugged eloquently, then they both followed.

Their combined senses led them to the low, dank cavern filled with the rotten, decaying corpses of the forgotten meals the man-wolf left when he discovered her. Why eat decaying meat when fresh blood and flesh were available? The stench was that of despair and fear, it was all they could do to quiet their minds to venture forth and attempt contact with the creature. Succeeding only brought a heightened sense of self-loathing upon them, for the beast's thoughts were as alien and horrible as its monstrous countenance. Coming around the last bend in the complex maze of the cavern, they finally spotted the pair, and Vlad nearly gave them away by crying out in horror at the sight of Evangeline. She lay supine on a pile of old clothing, covered in blood from her waist down, her hands covering her belly. Sweat poured down her face and dampened her hair…and she shuddered from time to time with each contraction, and blood still seeped from her womb. The monster was enthralled by her pain, the scent of her blood and he was so focused that he did not see the three until they were right on top of him. Snarling he turned and confronted them. Making an enormous effort to control the animal within, he strove to communicate his intentions in a more rational manner.

' _You...are too late Vladislav, she will...be Mine soon…one life for another. A fitting...tribute to my dead brother."_

Vlad circled him, Evangeline never out of his sight. He was so aware of her that he could feel her heartbeat as it slowed…slowed…

" _Era noastra nu ii apartine ei, Andrei, elibereaz-o. Trebuie sa terminam asta odata pentru totdeauna. (2)"_ He bowed gracefully, tempting the man-wolf away from his wife. " _Do I frighten you, wolf?"_

His mocking tone did the trick and Andrei lunged for him, with a snarl and a flash of red-eyes they tumbled out of the stone archway into the darkness beyond. Giselle raced to Evangeline and knelt, shoving Gregori away when he tried to kneel as well.

"No! I know what to do… _I think…_ go, help Vlad. He needs you more than I…"

Gregori looked deeply into his mate's eyes…then gave a short, curt nod. "So be it." He turned to go…then spun back and kissed her…hard…on the lips. "Go with the gods…" she whispered against his ear, then…he was gone. She turned to the dying girl and set about trying to save all of them.

Vlad was entangled in blood, fur, teeth and sweat. He hissed a curse as he felt the man-wolf take a hunk of muscle from his shoulder, but held fast to the beast's neck. " _You can never overcome me, Andrei…you know this. Give in to your need for rest…daylight draws nigh. You need to release this form to heal your wounds…"_

" _NEVER!"_ the beast's roar shook the very foundations of the cave and rocks began to crumble from the ceiling. Struggling with renewed energy, biting and clawing with renewed vigor, what once was Andrei Lixandroiu used every trick within his grasp to free himself from his avowed enemy. _"I will NEVER….cease to fight for my...brother's vengeance…and you will pay...with all you hold dear for his death! A lifetime is...never enough for what you have done! Despair and Die!"_ With the last theatrical statement, Andrei reared back and lunged for Vladislav's throat…

A strong rush of wind blew through the tunnel, momentarily blinding both combatants. When it cleared, Vlad was holding Andrei's body…and Gregori was holding his head. On the opposite side of the cavernous room. Gasping, attempting to speak with vocal chords no longer in existence…the light in the man-wolf's eyes slowly…slowly went….out.

Vlad collapsed against the stone wall on suddenly useless legs. It was over. Over. Gregori looked sharply at him, worry etched on his face at the near bloodless countenance of his friend. "Come, Vlad. We must let you feed. You may take sustenance from me right now. Your mate needs you sorely."

At that Vlad looked up sharply…"she lives? And the child?"

"Take and eat first, then we shall see." Taking a sharp fingernail, Gregori made a deep cut in his wrist and held it up to Vlad's mouth, urging him to consume as much as he needed. Closing his eyes, Vlad gratefully did as instructed, knowing it was life or death at the moment…and he needed nourishment if he were to feed his mate…which he must after the loss of blood she suffered. At the memory, he pushed away Gregori and stood abruptly.

"We must get back, she is dying…I can feel it…"

* * *

"Push…come, Evangeline stay with me…you must push your babies out…Push!" Giselle's voice stayed strong and relentless whenever she noticed her charge's eyes droop again into the dream-like state of shock and semi-consciousness. "It is up to you now…do you want your children to die? What kind of mother are you?"

The harshness of her tone was regrettable but necessary, as it put some artificial color back in that colorless face, that pale-as-death countenance which frightened the kind-hearted Carpathian immensely. Her ears perked up when a quivery voice asked softly, "ch-ch-child _ren?_ But…I thought…"

"I can sense _two_ heartbeats my lady. Two! But they slow, even as we speak. _You must hurry!_ None of you are safe until they are born. Push, Evangeline…with all the strength you have left!"

Where she found it, the reservoir of strength, she knew not. But she pulled it out of herself for the miracle of seeing the faces of Vlad's children…children they created together. Awe came over her at the sight of her first-born son. He was held up for her to see…"Your name shall be Victor…" she whispered, "for through you I have had victory over all fear and doubt."

Her daughter was held up next, face red and squawking in temper at the indignities of the world outside the womb. Evangeline smiled a little before proclaiming in a voice growing ever weaker…"and you my love, shall…be Victoria…for with you…I hold…victory…through…love…"

Her voice faded, as the light dimmed and all sound ceased. Her spirit floated free of her body, weightless now and she was drawn ever closer to a bright shining light.

* * *

Was this death? This peaceful, benign existence surrounded by light, this floating, weightless feeling? _I do not like this. I do not want this. Vladislav. Where is my husband? Where are my children? I will not stay here. I will_ _ **not**_ _stay here. I_ _ **WILL NOT**_ _ **STAY**_ _…._ and I woke with a gasp. Vlad was beside me, holding my head in his lap, tears streaking down his face. " _Nu muri, te rog nu muri (3)_ " That alone impacted me more than all his love words combined. This strong, proud, stubborn man was crying…for me.

I reached up a shaky hand and said in a voice almost gone…"it's time…" He looked down, startled, then smiled a warm and loving smile. "Time." He agreed.

He drew his shirt sleeve up, and using his dagger, sliced a line in his wrist. Drawing my head up he patiently guided my lips to the cut and helped me latch on. As I began to suckle, the most incredible taste flooded my mouth…like sweet ambrosia, the delectable liquid flowed easily down. Humming with pleasure I sipped it as though indulging in my favorite raspberry wine, all the while driving my husband wild with physical pleasure. (I did not realize this, but there is a strong…intense…physical bond between lifemates who share the blood bond. I would come to know this when I sufficiently healed.)

His hips bucked against my side and he moaned into my hair as I continued my assault on his senses. I lapped at him with my tongue, and nibbled to make the flow faster…knowing instinctively that I wasn't hurting him. He responded with growing enthusiasm, his hardness pressing into the side of my thigh, the only place on my body that wasn't injured. When I hummed in pleasure again, he reacted as though I had touched him with a lightning rod…the effect was so electrifying…

I had to do it again. I hummed and mmmmed to my heart's content and soon his thrusts were timed exquisitely. I suckled and lapped and licked until he gave a great shout and orgasmed with me firmly attached to his side, and the twins firmly ensconced in the arms of our grinning friends. I nuzzled his neck with bloody lips and he crushed them beneath his own.

"I thought I had lost you _so_ _ţ_ _ia mea iubita_ _…_ _"_ his voice was harsh with emotion. I reached up a hand and wiped away a tear that had leaked from his eye.

"I am still here my love. Take us home."

He swept her up into his arms and the three of them took his wife and the babes back to their home.

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

Sitting with her now, safe and sound, he still felt that crushing weight of sorrow when he remembered the light that had faded from her eyes as she had died in his arms. He had pleaded with her not to leave him as tears had poured down his face…unheeded and unnoticed. Even Gregori and Giselle had been affected by this unusual display of emotion, for they too knew that one day they may be forced to watch the other perish. He was still lost in thought when he felt her small hand brush the side of his face.

"My love, what is the matter? Why is there such sorrow in your eyes? Tonight, is for rejoicing…indeed we have much to be thankful for." Her green eyes were misty as they gazed into his.

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated her earnest face. "Indeed…I am truly thankful that I have a willing red-haired wench to warm my bed at night…" his tone was teasing.

In mock indignation, she lightly smacked his shoulder. "Wench?! I demand to know her name sirrah, so that I may scratch her eyes out!" He was chuckling by this time and his arms tightened around her as he gave her a hard kiss of appreciation.

"You, my dear, are a delight. Have I told you how much I love you today?"

She tapped her finger on her chin…"hmmm, yes…but you could always say it again." She began to nibble on his chin, earning a gasp of approval from her spouse. Popping open the buttons on his silk shirt, she murmured "Preferably in a more…demonstrative way…" then bit his earlobe lightly, causing a zing of pleasure to shoot straight to his groin. He smiled and allowed her the lead, thoroughly enjoying the fact that she felt so comfortable with the act of intimacy with him.

She nibbled his throat as she worked her way down his shirt front, shaping her hands around his muscles. He laid his head back and closed his eyes feeling the rush of sexual desire, that heady…intoxicating sensation that fueled his soul. She opened his shirt further and placed open mouthed kisses on his chest, before zeroing in on his nipple and laving it with her pink tongue. His hips rose involuntarily and he moaned softly in his throat.

Looking up and gauging his reaction, she smirked to herself before standing abruptly and crossing the room rapidly, heading for the door.

* * *

I grinned to myself as I beheld his reaction to my abrupt departure. Astonishment was clearly written on his face when I looked back over my shoulder as I walked out the door. I gave him my best "come hither" smile and made a valiant effort to put an extra swing in my hips, which wasn't easy as I walked with a decided limp from an injury I suffered during my capture by Andrei…the man-wolf. It worked though, for he narrowed those beautiful dark Romanian eyes and stalked toward me. Squealing, I took off at a stumbling run…laughing delightedly.

He could have caught up with me, even with my new strength and abilities, but he allowed me to stay ahead of him…giving the illusion of power that ran straight to my head like several glasses of the finest champagne. At our chamber door, he sped up, catching me at last, and swung me over his shoulder…giving me a smart slap on my behind. I yelped in protest and he rubbed the offending spot warmly with his wide palm before putting me down gently.

"That, my darling one, was for being a merciless tease…" he stated firmly, but the twinkle in his eye told me it was all in jest. I smirked at him…then, attacked. His mouth was hot, molten lava and he tasted of cinnamon and nutmeg. I pulled his shirt off his broad shoulders as he was yanking the front of my gown apart. Buttons flew everywhere and I broke the kiss to laugh breathlessly.

"Are we impatient, my love?" I purred into his ear, and he shuddered with the sensations.

"I wish to touch you, wife…I desire to suckle at your breasts, to worship your body as you deserve." His voice wove a tapestry of seduction that my body responded to…swaying toward him as though I were the instrument and he the soloist. "I want to watch your eyes as I unfold the petals of your most secret flower, and taste its dew, then I will make love to it with tongue and mouth until you scream with ecstasy, begging for more…always more…" his voice grew husky with longing, desire, love, and a healthy dose of lust for me.

My legs were shaking by this time, and I clung to his strong arms. After all this time, all these years…it was wonderful indeed that we still had a potent love life. He could affect me greatly by merely speaking. The juncture of my thighs ached for him to fill it…I longed to be swept up in his arms and be spread out on our marital bed for him to do as he wished. Gods! I was soaking wet merely by listening to his words alone!

My moan of longing must have convinced him because at last he did steer me toward our divan and gently push me down. Having divested me of my gown, he impatiently started on my undergarments, muttering obscenities in Romanian. I giggled happily as I ran my small hands up his muscular thighs, stopping just short of his thickness. He managed to rend asunder my shift, and stood staring at my nakedness, awe written clearly across his face…I decided to press the issue…so I pulled my feet up and spread my knees wide apart.

In a voice husky with longing I said, "does my husband like what he sees?"

He swallowed hard, twice…before he could answer. Settling large hands upon my knees, he spread them further and took one long, elegant finger to stroke my mound. I cried out with the pleasure that washed over me. "Vlad! _Atinge-ma (4)!"_

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in an attempt to hold himself in check. When he opened them again…the irises were ringed in red…and my blood heated. I scooted back on the mattress and showed my fangs, hissing an invitation to my mate. Wantonly stretching my length, I rubbed my skin against the cool silken comfort of the sheets and purred my pleasure, before rolling to my hands and knees…flirtatiously showing my backside, and glancing over my shoulder to my husband who was yanking off his leggings. I bent at the waist and waved my bottom in the air, the pink petals of my flower burgeoning with passion and spreading the sweet scent of my arousal all around the room.

A dip in the feather mattress gave ample warning of my immanent peril. I grinned, giving my hips another impudent shake. A warm hand snaked across my back and dipped into the crevasse of my bottom. A long, gentle caress held me still as it penetrated the warm, wet opening it found and I gasped at the glorious sensation. Pushing down I forced the penetration deeper, then began to rock my hips as though making fierce love to an invisible lover. His breathing turned ragged behind me and he began to pull his finger out and push it in in counter to my movements and I cried out in wonder at the beauty of it all.

Suddenly, I felt a tickle…a tug…then his mouth on my quim…oh, god! He pushed another finger in my tight fluttering sheath stretching me gently, while lapping up my juices with a loving, glorious suction. I bit my own arm and rocked…rocked…rocked my hips, spreading out my knees in surrender to the ecstasy he alone could bring me. It began as a nameless tingle in my extremities…building, always building…becoming a tightness in my belly as my hips rotated faster and sounds came tumbling from my lips.

"Uh…uh,uh…uh…uh,uh…uh" I grimaced as Vlad hit a particularly sensitive spot, and he noticed that my breathing changed…so he went back again…and again…and again… I began to quiver, and quake, as I clutched the sheets beneath my hands I cried out again and spread my legs further…granting him full access to every part of me. He took full advantage. With a grunt and yank he pulled me up and off the bed entirely. I glared over my shoulder at his abrupt cessation of activity.

" _Don't stop_!" I growled in all my Carpathian glory. " _Don't you dare stop Vladislav Dracula, not unless you wish to be warming your_ _ **own**_ _bed for all your long years of life!"_

* * *

He chuckled painfully, aroused even more by his wife's show of her power. By all he held most dear, he loved her…but never as much as in these moments…when she showed no fear, no loathing of his presence. She was his equal, and therefore he would cherish her for all his long life. _"It will be my pleasure inim_ _ă_ _mea, for I wish to be one with you as quickly as possible…"_

She gasped as he pushed her up against the wall, face first, and prepared her by spreading her open wide. With ruthless care, he lifted her up and enter her slowly…stretching her entrance and whispering encouragement when she squirmed and bleated in ecstasy. At last, he was seated to the hilt, and it was hot, tight and so incredibly good…

She was breathing heavily at this point, feeling stretched painfully thin at this angle, pulled taut by his fullness and filled to overflowing. "this won't work…" she wanted to shout…but then she felt his hand move to her taut nub, and two generous fingers rubbed it gently. On a silent shout, she began to move, taking the lead away from him. Holding on to her for dear life, he had to fight the urge to let go and simply ravish, instead he settled into a mind-blowing counter rhythm. Lifting her slight figure and taking, he entered her tight passage from behind and she could feel herself opening, flowering for his thrusts. He felt her body begin its climb and sought out the artery beside her shoulder blade. As she began to push down in earnest…timing her thrusts with his…spreading her legs further to feel his skin slap against her as their centers met, merged, parted, met and merged over, and over again, then he opened his mouth, allowed his canines to burst forth, and plunged them into the side of her neck.

* * *

I never felt as full as I did with him seated to the hilt within my tight, aching channel. This wasn't right…this wouldn't work! Vlad crooned to me, a wordless sound meant to both comfort and seduce. I relaxed enough for him to work his hands under my hips and then…Ah! Then I felt his strong fingers plunge between the sensitive folds between my thighs and skim the very heart of my desire. Opening my mouth, I gave a silent cry and began to move my hips, impaling myself on his iron shaft…causing violent ripples of ecstasy to invade my system and wreak havoc on my senses. Not able to stop once I had begun, I simply opened my thighs further and pushed harder.

The pleasure was immense, the pain minimal now that my arousal was pooling my juices around my thighs. Moaning my joy, I clutched uselessly at the wall and held on as Vlad shifted subtly inside me, hitting that one vital spot, and…I screamed his name as he plunged his teeth into my neck and a shock went through my body and into his. Rigid now, I squeezed his shaft mercilessly as my orgasm ripped through my body. He ignored the siren call of his own burgeoning completion, and ruthlessly rode me through mine until I was writhing in the throes of an even greater one.

The sensations were enthralling, intensely erotic…incredibly addictive…his hips pistoning back and forth, his breath harsh in my ear, the scent of my blood heavy in the air mixed with the scent of my excitement…I heard Vlad shout in victory behind me when at last he released his seed deep into my welcoming body…bringing with it a wave of ecstasy so powerful, my mind could hardly comprehend it. I screamed once

more as a burst of pleasure poured over me, so powerful, so intense…that I lost consciousness for a short time.

When I came to, I was clean and lying on our bed, cradled in the loving arms of my adoring spouse. He was running his hand through my hair in a gentle, soothing manner. When he saw I was awake, he swooped in to steal a soft kiss.

"I must remember to take care with you _dulceata_ ," he whispered. "I could not bear it if you ever looked upon my countenance with fear or loathing…"

I reached up a shaky hand and placed it against his soft lips. "Nay, my love. Were you to withhold your affections from me, that would break my spirit, and my heart. I need you, Vladislav my husband…so much." My voice grew anxious at the end, and he smiled tenderly down at me.

"Right now, my love, you need to feed. Come, let me nourish you as you have done for me." At her nod of approval and the shine of love in her eyes, he made an incision over his heart and pulled her gently to him. "Take from me, my heart, for I shall sustain you for all eternity."

Tears sparkled in my eyes as I nestled against him and fed. He gave of himself so generously, so unselfishly…this proud, fierce warrior, who loved so deeply.

And so, thus ends my tale. My life indeed has changed dramatically, but that is not to say that the change must be an unwelcome one. An existence such as ours is not for everyone, on this I must agree…for only those strong of will and stout of heart have the ability to survive the horrors of what we may face in our day to day encounters with the unknown.

The difference is…we stand as one…united in common purpose. To make the world a better place for both our kind, and humanity. And how do we hope to survive?

We have hope because of love…for without love, there would not be life, there would only be fruitless existence.

* * *

1\. You are the other half of my soul, I love you

2\. Our feud is not hers, Andrei, set her free. Let us finish this once and for all.

3\. don't die, please...don't die

4\. Touch me!


End file.
